Again, is the plastic used in making KCup Brewers SAFE?

Dec 10, 2010


To Editor regarding plastic #6 on B60

by: Anonymous
The new units of B60 in various retailed stores including B*dbathandbeyond, S*m's club, etc. are all clearly marked with the #6 recycle plastic symbol. Go check it out yourself.
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Dec 08, 2010

K-cups and #7 plastic

by: Anonymous
In the above Q and A section it says that K-cups do not have BPA, but then states that they are made out of #7 plasic which is a combination of plastic. This means that it is unknown! I don't know how they can say a firm NO to that question. There could be BPA and many other chemicals in #7 plasic. In my reasurch I've learned that the most dangerous plastic is #3, #6, and #7.
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Nov 29, 2010

keurig water reservoir danger
by: Anonymous
The water reservoir on the kurig doesn not have
BPA. I chose to return my Kurig since the water reservoir has plastic # 6 which is TOXIC.


http://www.coffeedetective.com/is-the-plastic-used-in-keurig-kcups-safe.html#comments

Is the plastic used in Keurig K-Cups safe?

http://www.coffeedetective.com/is-the-plastic-used-in-keurig-kcups-safe.html#comments

Is the plastic used in Keurig K-Cups safe?

This probably will most definitely be the most important article you will ever read regarding YOUR HEALTH and the KCUP phenomenom. May I suggest you get a cup of your favourite coffee and go to:
http://www.coffeedetective.com/is-the-plastic-used-in-keurig-kcups-safe.html#comments
It is that important.

Teenager makes prom dress out of Coffee Filters!

You gotz to see this, phenominal job.  Read some of the 'sick' comments which really made me think that yes, some people really need to drink more coffee and or get a life.  My father once told me, God rest his soul, if you're going to be critical of others step back and take a look at yourself before expressing your thoughts.
http://www.thefashionpolice.net/2009/06/teenager-makes-prom-dress-out-of-coffee-filters.html

Caffeine: How much is too much?

If you rely on caffeine to wake you up and keep you going, you aren't alone. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, alleviating fatigue and increasing wakefulness.

When to consider cutting back

For most people, moderate doses of caffeine — 200 to 300 milligrams (mg), or about two to four cups of brewed coffee a day — aren't harmful. But some circumstances may warrant limiting or even ending your caffeine routine. Read on to see if any of these apply to you.

'Grande' is your middle name

Though moderate caffeine intake isn't likely to cause harm, too much can noticeably affect your health. Heavy daily caffeine use — more than 500 to 600 mg a day, or about four to seven cups of coffee — can cause:

■ Insomnia

■ Nervousness

■ Restlessness

■ Irritability

■ Nausea or other gastrointestinal problems

■ Fast or irregular heartbeat

■ Muscle tremors

■ Headaches

■ Anxiety

Even a little makes you jittery

Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than are others. If you're susceptible to the effects of caffeine, just small amounts — even one cup of coffee or tea — may prompt unwanted effects, such as anxiety, restlessness, irritability and sleep problems. How you react to caffeine may be determined in part by how much caffeine you're used to drinking. So, people who don't regularly consume caffeine tend to be more sensitive to its negative effects. Other factors may include body mass, age, smoking habits, drug or hormone use, stress and health conditions such as anxiety disorders. Sex may even play a role: Research suggests that men are more susceptible to caffeine than are women.

You're not getting enough sleep

Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night. But caffeine can interfere with this much-needed sleep. Chronically losing sleep — whether it's from work, travel, stress or too much caffeine — results in sleep deprivation. Sleep loss is cumulative, and even small nightly decreases can add up and disturb your daytime alertness and performance.

Using caffeine to mask sleep deprivation can create an unwelcome cycle. For example, you drink caffeinated beverages because you have trouble staying awake during the day. But the caffeine keeps you from falling asleep at night, shortening the length of time you sleep. Caffeine can also increase the number of times you wake up during the night and interfere with deep sleep, making your night less restful. You wake up tired the next day and reach for your morning jolt of Java.

The best way to break this cycle is to reduce the caffeine and add more hours of quality sleep each day. Try to avoid caffeinated beverages eight hours before your desired bedtime. Your body doesn't store caffeine, but it takes many hours for it to eliminate the stimulant and its effects.

You're taking certain medications and supplements

Certain medications and herbal supplements negatively interact with caffeine. Here are some examples.

■ Some antibiotics. Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and norfloxacin (Noroxin) — types of antibacterial medications — can interfere with the breakdown of caffeine. This may increase the length of time caffeine remains in your body and amplify its unwanted effects.

■ Theophylline (Theo-24, Uniphyl, others). This medication — which opens up bronchial airways by relaxing the surrounding muscles (a bronchodilator) — tends to have some caffeine-like effects. Taking it along with caffeinated foods and beverages may increase the concentration of theophylline in your blood. This can cause ill effects, such as nausea, vomiting and heart palpitations. If you take theophylline, your doctor may advise you to avoid caffeine.

■ Ephedra (ma-huang). This herbal dietary supplement increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, seizures and death. Combined with caffeine, it becomes especially risky. The Food and Drug Administration has banned ephedra because of health concerns. The ban applies to dietary supplements but not herbal teas, which may still contain this herb.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether caffeine might affect your prescription. He or she can say whether you need to reduce or eliminate caffeine from your diet.

How to curb your caffeine habit

Whether it's for one of the reasons above — or because you want to trim your spending on pricey coffee drinks — cutting back on caffeine can be challenging. Too abrupt a decrease in caffeine can cause caffeine withdrawal with signs and symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, irritability and nervousness. Fortunately, these symptoms usually resolve after several days.

To change your caffeine habit more gradually, try these tips:

■ Keep tabs. Start paying attention to how much caffeine you're getting from foods and beverages. It may be more than you think. Read labels carefully. Even then, your estimate may be a little low because not all foods list caffeine. Chocolate, which has a small amount, doesn't.

■ Cut back. But do it gradually. For example, drink one less can of soda or drink a smaller cup of coffee each day. This will help your body get used to the lower levels of caffeine and thereby lessen the withdrawal effects.

■ Go decaf. Most decaffeinated beverages look and taste the same as their caffeinated counterparts.

■ Make it quick or herbal. When making tea, brew it for less time. This cuts down on its caffeine content. Or choose herbal teas, which don't contain the stimulant.

■ Check the bottle. Some over-the-counter pain relievers contain caffeine — as much as 130 mg of caffeine in one dose. Look for caffeine-free pain relievers instead.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Testing 1 - 2 - 3 Testing, Testing

Dunkin' Donuts is finally making single serve coffee pods! 
Don't get too excited, for it is only a test. 
Right now Dunkin' has decided to see if the single serve coffee market is ready for Dunkin' by making single serve coffee pods. 
This will amount to a test sampling to see how well they do.
There will be both a counter promotion at the register, coupled with a large floor display featuring their Dunkin' Donut coffee pods.
Interesting if you think of it.  They chose to come out with single serve PODS and
not the crappy little plastic KCUPS.  That in itself, is a big plus.  Me thinks they will be a big hit. 

Sounds Like Plenty Of Nothing!

The label stated 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 caffeine, 0 sodium, and 0 fat. And...I should buy the product why?

Hurry! Get Your 'Overpriced' Non-Recylceble KCUPS Before Prices Go Up? Huh?

Hurry! Now's the time to grab your favorite Keurig products before the industry's October price increase soon!

Here's the ticket!  Craiglist your Keurig and fast! 

Money obtained from the sale of it... invest in a single cup pod/ground coffee  brewer.

My brewer of choice is Starbucks Barista Solo*, no longer sold.  You can find them on ebay and sometimes on Craigslist.  Why the Solo?
You can put pods in it.  You can put your grounds in the basket.  In other words,
borrowing on the Burger King saying, "You can have it your way!"  Trust me...after
a cup of having it your way at about half the cost of the plastic capsulated
version, you will be saying, borrowing on the McDonalds (equal time, eh?)
"I'm loving it!" 

*There was a mftring problem with the Barista Solo which led to its demise.  Minor, as it was, it is my opinon that it just proved to be to much for Starbucks to be dealing with.  If you get one, e mail me 
I will instruct you what to do.  Believe me, it is easy and achieveable to correct in less than the time it will take you to brew the best cup of coffee you will have out of this brewer.

The environmental single-cup choice. Go Green!

Due to their construction, pods are inherently respectful to the environment.
Pods are the earth-friendly alternative to other package intensive single-cup options that are often associated with mediocre flavor, thin body, and a plastic aftertaste.
Spent pods are fully biodegradable and make great garden compost.
Pod cartons are made from 100% recycled material (50%+ post consumer).

Kings Supermarket based in New Jersey is now carrying EZ-Cups and EZ-Cup Filters

We've gotten word that King's Supermarkets in New Jersey are now carrying the EZ-Cup and EZ-Cup filters that work in your Keurig single serve coffee maker. What is the EZ-Cup? It is a filter sleeve and filter paper that allows you to use whatever coffee you want in your Keurig EZ-Cup is different from the My K-Cup reuseable K-Cup because you don't have to wash out a filter basket, and you don't have to take out the K-Cup insert. The EZ-Cup goes in the same spot as a regular K-Cup so no removal of the brew sleeve like the My K-Cup. After you're done filling the EZ-Cup and brewing, you simple open the top and pop out the spent filter basket made of paper.

The EZ-Cup will work in your Keurig Elite B40 Brewer, Keurig B50, Keurig Special Edition Ultra Elite B60, Keurig Platinum B70 Brewer, Breville BKC600XL Gourmet Single Cup Brewer, and other Keurig K Cup brewers.

This product is the only disposable filter for the Keurig machine. It allows our customers to use their own coffee and have an easy clean up. In addition it has a self tamping spring that brews what we believe to be a stronger cup of coffee.

Here are some additional features:
1. Self tamping spring gives you stronger coffee.
2. Paper filter gives you better tasting coffee. Uses same type of filter as k-cup
3. EZ to clean
4. Can make one cup after another without waiting to cool down also no clean up.
5. Greener than standard k-cups
6. Can be used in any keurig machine including commercial models.
7. No need to remove anything from your machine use it as you use a regular k-cup.
8. Saves water no need to clean it out.
9. Filter gives cleaner tasting coffee.
10. Uses less coffee because you can use a fine grind.

Even with this improvement in the KCup method of brewing coffee, in my estimation it still
falls far from even coming close to POD brewed coffee. The article mentions improvements
like cleaner, stronger, tasting coffee. Well, just what was KCUP Plastic capsulized coffee tasting
like before this came along? Precisely! Pods, and or fresh ground coffee is the only way to go!

Is The Plastic Used In Keurig K-Cups Safe?

Found this on: http://www.coffeedetective.com/

Sep 20, 2010 My K-Cup Filter by: Anonymous

The concern of Plastic in K-Cups is on everyones mind as is the waste thrown in the landfills. Those comments are all valid and it shows that consumers are thinking about the long term results. The My K-Cup re-usable filter answers some of these concerns, but it makes it less convenient..lets face it we bought into single cup for variety & convenience. This is where I found the best answer to both concerns...

USE PODS- of the SOFT PACK variety. Pods have been around since the late 60's and offer the freshness and variety without the plastic. Its filter paper & Coffee- just open up the pods and pour the coffee into your My-K-Cup filter. THe Pods keep fresh and are half the price of the K-Cups.

I read this over and over and tried to make sense of it. WHY? Why go through all this trouble? Invest in a good one cup POD BREWER. Put your filter paper coffee pods into it and brew cup after cup of consistent flavourful coffee. If I am wrong on this, someone please tell me. Oh...and the pods he said are half the priice of K Cups....need anymore reasons?

You Read On this Blog (or should have) The benefits of drinking coffee. Now read about the healthiness of drinking Tea!

The U.S. Tea Council has stated that 85% of all tea consumed in the U.S. is iced! 

Tea in general, even iced, contain anti-oxidant properties.

Tea can be considered a clean drink containing no sodium, fat, or sugar. 

Extensive research has shown tea to be beneficial in fighting diseases such as 'The Big C' - cancer, heart disease and low bone density.

This is an article on: 'Enjoyable Coffee' (operative word...enjoyable.)

Lets begin with KCUPS shall we? Enjoyable? Permit me to express disclosure here...I hate them with a passion!

I look upon them as the biggest fraud perpetuated upon the coffee industry. I had someone yell at me, "Hey looser they account for 3 billion in sales alone!" He was correct on both accounts...I am a looser, I admit that and yes they do account for that much in sales. I suspect it is the convenience, the so called selection. I think they are up to over 300 varieties of flavours. (gimme a break...pumpkin pie my arse!)

Hey, schmuck...what about enjoyable? Oh yeah.. They are convenient, easy to get hot coloured water from and permit easy clean up. Is that enjoyable to you?

Can you recycle them? Aaaah...No! The once flavourful ground coffee contained within the white #7 plastic capsule is pulverized beyond belief...even more so than Turkish ground espresso. It has to be to allow 198 degree water to permeate through it in 45 seconds or less providing you (in my estimation) with coloured brown weak hot water (some have expressed a 'plasticy taste') which is just about one step above instant coffee. (sorry for that reference IC lovers.)

Manufacturers of these KCUPS refer to them as pods! THEY ARE NOT PODS! Comparing K CUPS to PODS is like comparing the woman on the corner as being your girlfriend...answer for both questions is....NO THEY ARE NOT! (I think)

So what is enjoyable coffee? It is coffee that you truly love to drink. Coffee that you can not be without. Exquisite coffee that is always good to the last drop. Thank you Maxwell house for that one.

Will coffee affect my diet? Answer: YES! and NO! Whaaaat?!

If you are dieting, drink your coffee BLACK, Jack!  No problemO!
It's when you stop at the local coffee shop and order flavored syrups, lattes, creams,
and all the other various sugars, well,  that defeats your purpose.

Dieters...non coffee related...FACT:  Avoid anything and everything that has HFCS
High Fructose Corn Syrup a.k.a. corn syrup, liquid corn syrup, in it.  Read the labels and you will be amazed.  If you conciously avoid HFCS you will loose 5-8 pounds in two weeks!   HFCS is in pretty near everything, be on the lookout.

National Coffe Day * September 29th!

September 29th is National Coffee Day!  What better way to celebrate than with the gourmet taste you love, eh?

Will be published each and every day as a kind reminder to us all

J. Mann: "Each day when we awake we know we have one more day to make a difference in someone's life."
Let all of us who love coffee go through our day knowing this.

MORE This and That About Coffee

Fresh Coffee? It's unroasted beans, roasting them at home in quantities sufficient for a few days. Now that's fresh! KCUPS? Get real!

The term "body" is the way coffee feels when it's in the mouth. The body of the coffee may feel light, thin, delicate, syrupy or buttery.

How about this. Carrots and coffee have nearly the same pH. Acidity in coffee contributes to its special liveliness, color and brightness.

 "Coffee cheers the spirit without making one mad."

Coffee Chat About This And That

Fresh Coffee? It's unroasted beans, roasting them at home in quantities sufficient for a few days. Now that's fresh! KCUPS? Get real!

The term "body" is the way coffee feels when it's in the mouth. The body of the coffee may feel light, thin, delicate, syrupy or buttery.

How about this. Carrots and coffee have nearly the same pH. Acidity in coffee contributes to its special liveliness, color and brightness.

"Coffee cheers the spirit without making one mad."

KCUPS shelf life: 4, maybe 6months? Pods shelf life: 1 year found one proclaiming 2 yrs! KCUPS 'leach' out freshness?? Pods nitrogen flushed!

Cupper - KCups? Not going to happen!

I have been told I am brutal & merciless on KCUPS. Prove to me that a professional cupper cupped KCUP coffee and I might change my mind.

Are They Really Into Coffee?

How can someone 'so into coffee' placate themselves by settling for and drinking any KCup form of..?...I can not bring myself to say coffee.

I can not bring myself to say KCUP and Coffee in the same sentence. If you have not figured it out by now, I am NOT a fan of the biggest ruse perpuated on the Coffee Industry!

I was offered and refused a cup of KCUP, shall I say hot water and they thought I was nuts. I said, "My Visa Card is plastic, not my coffee.  However, enjoy your lingering after taste."

A unbleached paper pod removed from a nitrogen flushed foil pouch about to have 192 degree water evenly distributed over it for 3 min. Priceless!

 I still question, all be it, they still claim it is safe...forcing 192 degree water through a questionable at best #7 plastic enclosure.

 KCUPS run forcibly powered water through a plastic enclosure in less than 45 seconds. Pods evenly distribute their flavor in 3 min. Hello!

You would have to be a Twit if you selected a K cup cup of ? over a robust freshly brewed pod cup of coffee.

A new coffee cup?

Could this be used for k-cup coffee? Um, I think so...

My home brewed coffee cools off to quickly?

Pre-heat your mug or carafe prior to brewing your coffee! Do this by swirling hot water in them!

Caffeine is my shepherd....

"Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze.

It maketh me to wake in green pastures:

It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.

It restoreth my buzz:

It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction,

I will fear no Equal

For thou art with me; thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me.

Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of the Starbucks:

Thou annointest my day with pep; my mug runneth over

Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life:

And I will dwell in the House of Mochas forever."


* From squidoo

Torrefacto Roasted liQuid heaVen Coffee

Torrefacto refers to a particular process of roasting coffee beans, common in Spain, France, Portugal, Costa Rica and Argentina. The process involves adding a certain amount of sugar during roasting in order to glaze the beans. This results in a reduction in the acidity and bitter taste of the coffee. The glazed beans are then mixed with normal roasted beans.

Biologist Isabel López Galilea, a researcher at the University of Navarra, has studied the effects of various roasting and preparation methods on the antioxidant capacity of coffee. According to her study, “The Influence of Torrefacto Roasting on the Principal Components of Coffee and its Antioxidant and Pro-oxidant Capacity”, the addition of sugar during the torrefacto roasting process increases the production of compounds with antioxidant properties. It was demonstrated that both ground and brewed torrefacto coffee has higher antioxidant capacity than standard roasts. In addition, it was found that the espresso method of extraction yielded higher antioxidant activity than other brewing methods. * Source

liQuid heaVen proudly features a torrefacto blended brewed coffee that when combined with the liquid creamer of choice creates a truly wonderful exotic tasteful drink.

Moderate Coffee Drinking OK in Pregnancy

WEBMD:  New Guidelines Say Moderate Amounts of Caffeine Won't Increase Miscarriage Risk

July 21, 2010 -- Many pregnant women cut out caffeine the minute they find out they are expecting because of fears that their daily coffee may increase their risk for miscarriage or preterm birth.

But a new position statement issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) should put some of their fears to rest. The group states that moderate caffeine intake -- less than 200 milligrams a day -- won't increase their risk of miscarriage or preterm birth.

The same cannot be said for higher amounts of caffeine, the group states in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

"For years, women have been getting mixed messages about whether or not they should have any caffeine during pregnancy," says William H. Barth Jr., MD, chair of ACOG's committee on obstetric practice, in a news release. "After a review of the scientific evidence to date, daily moderate caffeine consumption doesn't appear to have any major impact in causing miscarriage or preterm birth."

Variations in Caffeine Content

In general, 200 milligrams of caffeine is equal to one 12-ounce cup of coffee, but coffee drinkers should be aware that there can be tremendous discrepancies in different brews. For example, a grande 16-ounce Starbucks brewed coffee has 320 milligrams of caffeine.

Eight ounces of caffeinated tea and most 12-ounce soft drinks have less than 50 milligrams of caffeine; 1.55-ounce chocolate bars have less than 35 milligrams, according to information cited in the new report.

The new opinion statement is based on a literature review of recent studies looking at the effects of caffeine on pregnancy. The authors also looked at how caffeine affects risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) during pregnancy. While there is no definitive evidence that caffeine increases risk of IUGR, more study is needed to better understand this relationship, the new paper states.

Sami David, MD, a New York City-based reproductive endocrinologist and pregnancy loss expert, tells his patients to play it safe when it comes to caffeinated beverages during pregnancy.

"One cup of coffee a day, which is about 8 ounces and has around 100 milligrams of caffeine, or two cups of black or green tea per day is OK," says David.

As a people we are powerless. It is our government that is causing this and they know it!

I rarely get Political on this blog.  However, I came accross this comment from steveola251c appearing in the Washington Post which sums up why we as a nation are hated throughout the middle east.

steveola251c wrote:

I am ashamed of myself, as an American, for what my government has done in our name in the middle east. There is no excuse for our occupations, killing of hundreds of thousands of innocents, inundating their countries with depleted uranium weapons, white phosphorous weapons, sex slavery, inhuman torture of prisoners and all. We have no moral high ground whatsoever. I can honestly say that America, as an organized terrorist organization, is the biggest threat to the world, financially (through Goldman Sachs thievery) and decimation (through the American military.) In our empirical interests we will destroy ourselves, and we have no one else to blame. May our children forgive us for what we have done to their futures.

Single Cup Coffee Maker that would do it ALL

I would like your honest answer to a question please...

Here at liQuid heaVen we've been discussing, and are in a discussion fact finding stage presently. We are thinking of designing and marketing a single cup coffee maker.

This single serve vehicle would have a permanent re-useable nylon filter basket for both coffee and loose tea. It's footprint would be minimal, allowing one to take it with you. It would be a work of art in chrome.  It would also take any form of  pod, ground coffee, loose tea, tea bags and provide a consistently fantastic hot cup of brew from it.

The question I pose to you,  would this be of interest to you?

What if it had a life time guarantee for say, oh just ...$59.95?

WE COULD include all the bells and whistles if need be, but- I DON'T WANT TOO! I contend that all that is needed is a lighted on/off button that when pressed within three (3) minutes brews hot, your favourite ground or pod coffee or tea or loose tea.

Must you have a removable water reservoir? I am thinking permanent. You remove things, things break.  However, it has to be accessible for easy filling.

What do you think? Please let us know.  We are serious as a heart attack about this.

Can you spare just three minutes???

My daughter and I were discussing coffee brewers. Not K cup brewers, she won't go there with me, it is a loosing battle. Yeah, I know they ARE POPULAR. It is the WHY that I just don't get .

Like I have said here on the blog, I have tried them three times. K-Cups produce a substance, all be it dark that tastes like it was filtered through a homeless man's underpants. Now I am reading that consumers are complaining of a plastic like taste that resonates and stays with them.  Could this be from the pressureized 198 degree hopefully filtered water being forced through this plastic recepticle in less that 45 seconds?  YEAH!  You don't get this with a pod and a pod is recycleable.

Ok, I went off on a tangent. Back to coffee brewers. Why do some brewers have all the bells and whistles? i.e..buttons, clocks, lights?

Have we all collectively forgot the purpose of a coffee brewer? It is to brew a consistent quality cup of coffee, if you are using a single cup brewer, or a carafe of 10 to 12 cups of coffee for a gathering.

The buttons are for programming. Programming your cup or carafe to be ready for you in the morning. Operative word is morning, like HOURS from now. Ok, I guess the majority of us don't have a measly three minutes to wait for our FRESH cup of coffee anymore, hence the popularity (added expense too!) of buttons, clocks, lights what have you.

I say FRESH, because evidently...the majority of us out there who probably buy a good quality brand of their favourite coffee only to put it OUT to have the air-the worst enemy of the coffee to bombard it overnight as it sits there in the filter basket awaiting the bells, and whistles to get it started at whatever time was programmed in! Some may say I am being ridiculous and overstating the loss of quality that a brew to be looses over this time span. Maybe, but I don't think so.

But I still have three (3) minutes to get a FRESH, not affected by the air cup of coffee, thank you. Bet many of you never gave this any thought, eh?
Then again,  how many of you think a k cup produces the best coffee ever?  Gotta love that plastic!

Please visit me on Twitter and leave a comment?

I am currently on a rant on my Twitter account.  I am 'factually' taking aim at the K-Cup.  What say you?  Please visit and comment.  Utmost thanks! 

Moderate Coffee/Tea Drinking Lowers Heart Disease Risk

Drinking coffee or tea in moderation reduces the risk of developing heart disease, and both high and moderate tea drinking reduces the risk of dying from the condition, according to a large-scale study from Dutch researchers.

The study, led by physicians and researchers at the University Medical Center Utrecht, examined data on coffee and tea consumption from 37,514 residents of The Netherlands who were followed for 13 years.

It found that people who had two to four cups a day of coffee had a 20 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to those drinking less than two or more than four cups a day. Moderate coffee intake also slightly -- but not significantly -- reduced the risk of death from heart disease and all causes.

Tea's performance was stronger on both counts. Drinking three to six cups of tea a day was associated with a 45 percent reduced risk of death from heart disease, compared to drinking less than one cup a day, and drinking more than six cups of tea a day was associated with a 36 percent lower risk of getting heart disease in the first place.

The apparent protective effects may be linked to antioxidants and other plant chemicals in the beverages, but how they work is unclear, according to researchers.

No effect of coffee or tea consumption on the risk of stroke was seen in the study.

Study authors found, however, that coffee and tea drinkers in The Netherlands had very different health behaviors, with more coffee drinkers smoking and having less healthy diets.

Read the rest of the article here.

Could a Coffee Maker Be Worth $11,000?

The following excerpts are taken from a column written by James Joyner which appeared in Outside the Beltway.

The machine in question, the Clover, isn’t aimed at consumers but rather coffee shops. And it sounds pretty spiffy:

It brews coffee like a French press, but it’s more dramatic to watch and much more precise. Unlike lesser methods of making coffee, which are no more reliable than their users and can’t be counted on to produce the same cup twice, the Clover is equipped with a “PID algorithm” for regulating temperature and “programmable workflow modes” to help micromanage the brewing process. Latourell enumerates six variables that contribute to the taste of brewed coffee—choice of bean, grind, “dose” of coffee, brewing time, temperature, and amount of water. The first three, for better or worse, are in the hands of the barista (“Call me when you get a better grinder!” Latourell half-teases the Grumpy staff)—but the Clover can precisely regulate the last three.

The result, apparently, is some pretty good coffee. More importantly, it’s a different idea of coffee.

Starbucks uses these in select stores as do many smaller coffee houses around the country.

You can read the low down on this high tech brewer here.

A K-cup challenge

Here's a challenge. A challenge to all you glorious and exuberant K-cuppers out there, stand up for your cups of mediocre, at best, and that's a very big stretch, insipid watery brew.

And for God's sake stop referring to them as PODS! They are not PODS! Pods contain anywheres from 9 to 10.5 grams of COFFEE. K-Cups produce a substance, all be it dark that tastes like it was filtered through a homeless man's underpants.

They are little plastic non-recyclable housings for ultra fine grind grounds that were once coffee before being subjected to obliteration and then being placed into k-cups.

K-Cuppers are happy to state it only takes 45 seconds or less to get a cup of  coffee -again, I can't bring myself to say the word coffee and k-cup  in the same sentence. Anyway...45 seconds...they hoop and hollar at this as being genious, when it is not.

Time for an educative moment... Dontchatink...something gravely has to suffer if water is pushed through a miniscule little shitty plastic cup no bigger than that little milk capsule that is brought to you in a restaurant where you peel the foil back?

In comparison, Pods produce coffee in 3+ minutes. If you get the right brewer it will have a spary head which evenly distributes your filtered water in, around, and through the pod producing a true cup of coffee.

It is unbelievable the enormous amount of people in this country who consume k-cups. Someone please tell me why?

The K-Cup Revolution... WHY?

Operating on the assumption that no one’s opinion is ‘right’ for anyone but themselves, I want to add discourse to the K-Cup Revolution! I want and expect K-cup loving people to disagree with me. Stick to the facts as I have and we will get along fine. Dispute what I am about to say and correct me if you can. I strongly believe that everything I am about to put forth is factual.

Distinctive characteristics be it about food or in this case K-cup coffee, are objective not subjective. Having personally studied, read and written about coffee, I feel that I have a basis on which to evaluate coffee. That revealed, here is my factual research on K-Cups, and it ain’t pretty.

K-cups make great lousy watery coffee. You can not argue that K-cups are great, and in no way are K-cups world class.

Matter of fact, the word "great" and "K-cup" should never appear in any honest coffee review together, although they do and to me that is a ‘no-no’.

Let’s face it, K-cup coffee is no uber-brew! So, if you lack taste, want to continue to pollute the environment and want a crappy, less than 8 oz cup of coffee pretty darn quickly and with no effort on your part, then have at a cup of stale K-cup coffee. Go ahead, knock yourself out!

Not mentioned in any K-cup advertisement for obvious reasons, I will have to hold my nose while I say this, K-cups have only a six month shelf life!!!

With that in mind, here is a quote from a roaster:

“K-cups have a 9 month shelf life. However, if each unit is sealed, the k-cups will last longer although the coffee may not taste as fresh.”

They added 3 months to the shelf life and then the truth!

The following shows the lunacy of K-cuppers, it appeared on a search engine site:

“I was checking out some of the websites and I found one which has k-cups past their expiration dates for a very good price. Is it worth the savings or should I just pay top dollar?”

The operative words are "pay top dollar".

I am a POD man. I began with it when Senseo came out and have stood with the pod and have retired my Senso for a StarBuck’s Barista Aroma Solo. I re-engineered the Barista Solo because it had a design defect which allowed water to spill out and puddle. Now, through my retrofitting I can enjoy any pod, or ground coffee I desire. I bought T-Fal bags and can make my own pods, or use the nylon perfect basket.

I own a Grindmaster commercial coffee grinder. This permits me to create the freshest coffee from properly stored beans, (liQuid heaVen). I can now fill up my Starbucks Barista Aroma Solo's durable re-useable nylon filter basket with 2, 3 or 4 tablespoons of the coffee of my choice!

Why am I mentioning this? Have you ever cut open a K-cup?

I did...

It weighed 22.8 grams or .81 oz of coffee!!

Remember, that is after it was perked and the grounds were wet.

I refuse to spend any money and actually buy a K-cup to open it dry and weigh it, it ain’t worth it people!

This leads me to this little dramatization. Play along with me...

If someone was to offer you a free bag of money, which bag would you choose?

A small bag, lets call it bag A or a large bag, we'll call bag B.
It’s a no brainer, you would pick bag B the larger bag!

Yet, when it comes to enjoying coffee all the K-cup people are settling for A, the small amount of crappy coffee that permeates the tiny little cup! They rationalize to themselves and to the gullible that it is great coffee, when it is not!

I often wonder with this K-cup explosion and popularity, just how many previous Senseo owners and single cup coffee pod people are among this wayward group.

You see, when the single pod first made its entrance along with the Senseo pod brewer, many people where complaining that the pods from Dewy Egbert were weak and not any where near their own ground coffee that they enjoyed.

Also remember, pods were weighing in at 9 grams plus and one was out there at 10.5 grams! And yet a huge amount of people complained back then! Could it be that they are now K-cup enthusiasts? That leaves me with this final question... WHY?

Its not just me, here is what others have said about K-cups...

From: http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/546120-keurig-coffee-makers-some-advice.html

My advice would be: avoid the Keurigs altogether, and go with a pod coffee maker. Two main reasons: coffees I've had from every K-cup machine I've used (a few commercial models, with a variety of coffees) ALL taste weak and thin (regardless of coffee volume selected), except for a couple of extra-bold varieties (Sumatra was one, forget the brand), which were barely passable. And those stupid k-cups take up a lot of room to store. Silly design.

OTOH, the pod machines make a much better cup of joe in my experience. There are several levels of machines to choose from,and a huge variety of pods. The pods are flat and easy to store (imagine that!) in individual foil packets.

I would seriously recommend trying coffee from both types of machines before buying. I just don't understand how people who like coffee find k-cups acceptable.

Also, there's lots of good info (even from people who prefer k-cups, go figure!) at singleservecoffee.com.

Oh yeah, and by all reports, the 'reusable k-cup filter' sucks loads. Don't plan on using it if you go that route.

Just a few from: htttp://www.epinions.com/review/Keurig_B100_Coffee_Maker/content_238673694340

- Honesty can be a brutal thing, and I just gotta be brutally honest with y'all....the Keurig B100 is the WORST coffee maker sold in America, and the WORST VALUE to boot. You can buy cheaper coffee makers, you can buy flimsier coffee makers --- but you can't buy a WORSE one overall.

- I use a Keurig B2003 ("B" stands for "behemoth") on a frequent basis, since my company's facilities manager got duped into wasting our money on one a couple years ago, so I'm pretty familiar with the whole K-cup scam, which is why I would never have bought something as utterly useless as the B100 model.

- Unfortunately, somebody over at the Hyatt hotel chain isn't as smart as you or I, and they got duped into buying a whole slew of these coffee makers to put in hotel guest rooms. My review is based on my disgust at having one foisted on me by Hyatt on a recent business trip. The experience is enough to make me want to stay in a Hilton next trip!

- Why the Keurig B100 is a STUPID Device to Buy for the Home...
You'll find Keurig coffee makers in malls, or even in online stores. My advice is simple: stay away from them!

I've already told you about the bad coffee that they make and about the tiny portions (at work, we use 2 K-cups to fill our typical ceramic mugs). There's another reason to avoid Keurig coffee makers like the plague: they are a HORRIBLE value.

The bad value proposition starts when you start shopping around. You pay dearly for the Keurig name. The machines are typically priced at about 5 to 10 times what they're worth. They've got a basic model that I've seen at Target for $100, and you can move up to the smaller, less featured B100 for a mere $250.

Compare that to the cost of mainstream brands of 4-cup coffee makers that you can buy as cheap as $12, or fully loaded for around $30-40, and it doesn't take a whole lot of neuron power to start seeing the holes in Keurig's value argument.

Buying the machine is just the tip of the iceberg though.

Adding insult to injury, you'll also start getting socked with the cost of buying K-cup packaged coffee. Today, I stopped my friendly local Target to see what it costs for a box of K-cups. 5.75 ounces of Green Mountain coffee cost $19.99.

Just in case you failed basic math classes (a highly likely scenario if you think Keurig coffee makers "are worth it"), that works out to roughly $60 a pound!!!

Now I don't know what kind of prices you pay for coffee, but where I live, I can get a pound of crummy coffee for around $3-4, I can get pretty decent gourmet roasts at my local grocery store for $6.99 a pound, or I can buy top-line brands at a coffee specialty store for around $10-12 a pound. Even your basic Starbucks coffees can be had for around $7 for a 12-ounce bag.

$60 a pound!! The mind is boggled. Especially when I factor in that Green Mountain coffee is NOT as good as Starbucks, and is a huge step down from the better coffees that I'd normally use.

In Keurig's defense, it is possible to avoid the cost of store-bought K-cups. You simply buy the reusable filter for another $15-20.

If you do so though, then you've nullified Keurig's one supposed "advantage" of not needing to throw away coffee grounds and filters (am I the only person in the world though who never thought that was a particularly tough thing to do???)

Bottom Line... Keurig coffee makers are the biggest waste of money in the kitchen gadget store. They're hideously expensive, rely on outrageously overpriced consumables, and they produce bad tasting coffee to boot. Their supposed "advantages" are of no real value, and K-cup packaged coffee is not sold everywhere, making it inconvenient as well.

If you're the kind of person who wants to know just where the pentagon buys their $5,000 screwdrivers so you can get one too, then the Keurig B100 is right up your alley. To everyone else though, I say "avoid this overpriced money pit."

US Coffee Statistics

How much do you know about your cup of Joe? Let's break it down.

• Specialty coffee sales have been increasing by 20% on a yearly basis, and they make up almost 8% of the US coffee market that encompasses $18 billion.

• 50% of the US population, which equals 150 million people, regularly drink specialty espresso beverages.

• The average consumption for a United States coffee drinker is 3.1 cups of Joe each day.

• Small, independent coffee houses gross 12 billion total in annual sales.

• The average coffee shop drive-thru sells up to 300 cups of coffee and espresso on a daily basis.

• For all Americans over 18, 50% drink Java daily. However, Finland takes the cake with the highest coffee consumption worldwide each day.

• In the US, men consume as much coffee as women do, though women are more concerned with paying the price for expensive coffee drinks.

• Up to 65% of all coffee that is consumed is during breakfast, 30% is during the day between meals, and the last 5% is with lunch or dinner.

• 35% of US coffee drinkers enjoy their Java black.

• 65% of American coffee drinkers add cream and sugar to their cup of Joe.

• Not surprisingly, Seattle has the highest number of coffee shops per 100,000 residents in the city. Manhattan and San Francisco nearly tie for second but are nowhere near as close in their coffee shop population as Seattle.

• The United States alone imports over $4 billion worth of coffee products on a yearly basis.

 

* Taken from  thecoffeebump 's blog.

BUNN 3.8 Liter Lever Action Airpot

The BUNN 3.8 Liter Lever-Action Airpot. Thats one gallon of heaVenly liQuid people!

The BUNN 3.8 Liter Lever-Action Airpot is the perfect choice (it is liQuid heaVen's viewpoint, that its THE only one) for fresh coffee dispensing!

This is ideal for a commercial and professional coffee brewing setting because it will allow you to have your coffee kept fresh with the aroma sealed for hours at a time.

The BUNN 3.8 Liter Lever-Action Airpot is transportable, so it is easy to move from one location to another.

It offers a brew-through lid that uses lever-action for added convenience, and it is lined with stainless steel for the best in temperature control.

So many people prefer the BUNN 3.8 Liter Lever-Action Airpot for their commercial or home setting because it allows you to transfer your brew product to any location, all the while maintaining the integrity of its freshness.

Once you begin using the BUNN 3.8 Liter Lever-Action Airpot in your commercial coffee service setting, you will immediately be able to tell the difference in the flavor and taste of your coffee product!

This is the coffee brewing accessory that you are looking for to make your production and service that much easier. You can take that to the bank!

Best price observed on the web is $49.99 from the people at thecoffeebump.com.

Cool Beans Ice Cube Coffee Tray for Iced Coffee

Now this is cool and just in time for the warm summer months.

Coffee ice makes a cooler brew! Love the chilly goodness of iced coffee, but not the way melted ice waters down the flavor? Yeah - well we heard ya!

Your java jolt will keep stronger longer with a Cool Beans Coffee Ice Cube made from real coffee. Just pour your coffee in the molds and freeze. No more watered down iced coffee!

The Cool Beans Coffee Ice Tray is molded from super-strong, dishwasher-safe pure silicone.

Tray measures 8 inches long x 4.5 inches wide. Individual bean molds measure 2 inches.

Available at Perpetual Kid.

LeWhif: Coffee without the cup

Wow, now this is a very different innovation. Its called LeWhif and it comes in chocolate whifs and coffee whifs. Its enhaleable chocolate and coffee.

I cannot comment on it as I have not tried it, but sure sounds interesting. Strange, but interesting.

Have you LeWhiffed? If so let us know what you think.

The World's Coffee Producing Countries

Coffee grows in fifty-three countries circling the entire globe around the equator, thus the name “Coffee Belt”.

The Coffee Belt countries are: Angola, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Galapagos Islands, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, La Reunion, Madagascar, Martinique, Mexico, Mozambique, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, St. Helena , Sao Tome and Principe, South Africa, Sudan, Surinam, Taiwan, Tahiti, Tanzania, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Coffee grown in different parts of the world have unique characteristics due to the different climates, temperatures, types of soil, and even the crops intercropped with coffee.

All varieties of the coffee plant require warmth and humidity and thrive in areas with generous amounts of precipitation and average temperatures.

Coffee Varieties

There are three basic species of coffee cultivated commercially:

Arabica – this is the premium coffee of the world, producing the most complex flavors and aromas. They are more costly because they are more susceptible to destruction by disease and insects, and are often grown in difficult to harvest altitudes and locations.

Robusta – a wide variety of species most often sold as the “canned coffees” we well know. It is much cheaper than Arabicas primarily due to its inferior, bitter characteristics (due to excessive caffeine content). Also because it is more plentiful, less susceptible to destruction or frost and it can be harvested simultaneously by machine on flatter lands.

Liberica – least heard of, it is grown in Malaysia and West Africa, in low demand because of poor flavor characteristics and small quantities produced.

Areas in the Philippines that are perfectly suitable for coffee include Bukidnon and Baguio for Arabica and Cavite and Batangas for Robusta, Excelsa, and Liberica (Barako).

Most of these areas incidentally are near volcanoes, Volcanic soil is best suited for coffee production.

Lavazza's Loss

Emilio Lavazza infused high-tech innovation with caffeinated marketing to transform his family's coffee roaster into a global brand.

Mr. Lavazza, who died Tuesday at age 78, started out delivering ground coffee door-to-door to restaurants around Turin, Italy, where his grandfather founded the company as a grocery store in 1895.

Lavazza became a national brand in the decades after World War II, and today is Italy's biggest-selling coffee with almost 50% of the retail market.

Read the rest of the article here .

What, no free coffee?

The Boston Globe’s October 5 “Monday Question” revealed that a single-serve coffee maker and coffee pods or K-cups is becoming a popular choice for keeping office politics at cool levels – at least where coffee is concerned.

The Monday Question was posed as follows:

Does your office provide coffee at no cost to the employees? What form does your office coffee maker take (e.g. a pod machine, a vending machine, a pot that someone is responsible for making)? How important do you consider the availability of coffee to be in your workplace?

By close of business Monday October 5, there were 77 responses to the question. Of those responses, 30 said they used some type of single serve coffee system – coffee pods or k-cups. The second most popular answer? No free coffee at all, due to budget cuts.

Based on many of the comments, those offices who utilize traditional “pot of coffee” systems have a harder time keeping all of their employees happy, with many employees choosing to leave the office to buy coffee elsewhere. Other offices utilize a coffee delivery service or simply provide a “pay for your own” cafeteria.

* Source: American Coffee

Portable Espresso Machine by Shelton

Manufactured by Shelton, this completely portable esperesso unit is battery powered.

You place an ESE pod inside and 'walla', you get a cup of espresso wherever and whenever you need it.

Whats that, the Price? You sitting down....

Comes in just under $300! Enjoy.